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&lt;p&gt;Two bits this week address a major issue that comes up over and over again in the consulting industry: How to balance work and family life in the face of a demanding career. It goes without saying that in a client-facing role, where you&#39;re always on call and expected to field client requests whenever they are presented, it can be hard to find time for devoted solely to yourself and to your family.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In her blog Work &amp;amp; Family , Sue Shellenbarger notes that a growing number of employers, including Capgemini, IBM and Sun Microsystems have started allowing some new employees to telecommute right off the bat. Normally, such telecommuting options have been presented only after employees have proven their capabilities. One reason for this increased flexibility on the part of these companies is the increased push for specialized skill sets. Consulting applicants with specialized skills in one of today&#39;s hot industries, such as finance, banking, public sector or health care, will find that they have options open to them in a number of industries. To compete with what may be more lucrative offers from industry positions, some consulting firms have started offering &quot;lifestyle benefit&quot; options, like flexible schedules, telecommuting or part-time career tracks. Indeed, Shellenbarger&#39;s states that to qualify for one of these telecommuting opportunities, &quot;having a hot skill set is usually essential,&quot; and lists computer technicians, financial analysts, software engineers, project and marketing managers and programmers as possible positions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And for female consultants who are considering starting a family, a new Duke study suggests putting your analytical thinking caps on and applying your strategy skills to your own fertility! The report suggests that women should apply a formalized, &quot;logical decision model&quot; in determining the best time to have a child. The professor and doctoral student who released the report note that such a decision is simply &quot;too important and consequential to simply go with one&#39;s feelings.&quot; The analytical model that they present balances the benefits of motherhood against its effects on career and social interests, in addition to age-related concerns of reduced fertility and increased risks of abnormality. Contrary to popular belief, the model suggests that in many cases, it may be beneficial for women to have children at a younger age since &quot;maternity leave has less impact on the future career of a woman who is a student or in the beginning of her professional life. This womans child will also be older and slightly more independent by the time the woman has reached the critical years of her career.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consulting firms, who frequently face the problem of diminished numbers of women in the middle and upper ranks due to family concerns, might appreciate these findings. However, is it really practical for most women to have children early on in their careers? I welcome feedback from consultants who have faced this difficult decision.&lt;/p&gt;

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